Environmental containment system

ABSTRACT

A containment system has a plurality of concrete blocks. The concrete blocks each have sides, ends, a top surface, a bottom surface, a male interlocking element extending from one of the ends, and a female interlocking element formed in the other of the ends, and/or one of the sides. The plurality of concrete blocks may be interlocked together to form a containment perimeter. A security fencing structure may be operably mounted on top of the concrete blocks of the containment system.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates generally to containment systems, and more particularly to a containment system that includes a plurality of concrete blocks that interlock for containing a spill of a liquid pollutant.

2. Description of Related Art

Prior art containment systems typically use galvanized dike panels that are supported with anchors in the ground. These containment systems usually are protected by installing security fencing outside of the containment system. Both the anchors and fencing currently require digging or hydro-excavating for installation, which requires clearance (known as a “one call”) to make sure no underground pipes or other structures pass through that location.

The idea of a non-ground-disturbance containment would allow production companies (such as oil and gas companies) to eliminate the need for one calls and hydro-excavation for anchors as well eliminate the use of galvanized dike panels which corrode over time. The solid concrete interlocking block utilized in the present invention is designed specifically for secondary containment, it does not use anchors, and it serves as a solid barrier to protect against trucks that are typically striking the galvanized containments and fencing.

Currently companies are required to install pipe bollards around the facility in order to protect the equipment and the security fencing. The concrete block design will eliminate the need for a multitude of different products and services that are used today.

Furthermore, a fence option can be mounted directly on top of the blocks in order to protect the security fence from damage from trucks or livestock.

Examples of patents that disclose prior art products include Hallsten, U.S. Pat. No. 5,454,195, which teaches a modular containment system that uses hollow interlocking berm members that are made of plastic and adapted to be filled with sand. There are many prior art patents that disclose similar hollow elements that interlock and are filled with various substances, including Cain, U.S. Pat. No. 6,695,534, Bendfeld, U.S. Pat. No. 4,802,322, and Kroger, U.S. Pat. No. 7,614,825.

The prior art teaches various forms of hollow berm members that are filled with sand or other ballast The prior art also teaches galvanized dike panels. The prior art also places security fencing around the containment system, with bollards around the fencing to protect the fencing and the containment system. However, the prior art does not teach a containment system that includes large cement blocks that are interlocked to contain spills, and to physically protect the equipment. The prior art also does not teach mounting a security fence system on top of the cement blocks, thereby providing security without the need for installing bollards to protect the fence. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides further related advantages as described in the following summary.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention teaches certain benefits in construction and use which give rise to the objectives described below.

The present invention provides a containment system comprising a plurality of concrete blocks having sides, ends, a top surface, and a bottom surface, each of the concrete blocks further having a male interlocking element extending from one of the ends, and a female interlocking element formed in the other of the ends, and/or one of the sides, such that the plurality of concrete blocks may be interlocked together to form a containment perimeter.

A primary objective of the present invention is to provide a containment system having advantages not taught by the prior art.

Another objective is to provide a containment system that includes large cement blocks that are interlocked to contain spills, and to physically protect the equipment.

Another objective is to provide a containment system that provides an integrated security fence mounted on top of the cement blocks, such that the fence is physically protected from damage, and also such that there is no need to install a separate fence around the containment system.

Another objective is to provide a containment system that may be installed without digging or otherwise disturbing the ground upon which the containment system is installed.

Another objective is to provide a containment system that is constructed using standard components, but which may be easily customized to each installation.

A further objective is to provide a containment system is inexpensive and easy to install.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings illustrate the present invention. In such drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a containment system according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a concrete block used to form the containment system;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view thereof;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view thereof taken along line 4-4 in FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of a section of the containment system of FIG. 1, illustrating a security fencing structure that is integrated with the containment system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The above-described drawing figures illustrate the invention, a containment system 10 that is installed on a site 14 to contain spills of liquid pollutants (e.g., oil, fuel, chemicals, and other toxic or hazardous liquids).

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the containment system 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the containment system 10 includes a plurality of concrete blocks 20 that interlock to form the containment system 10. The containment system 10 is typically installed around equipment 12 such as oil production equipment, oil or chemical storage facilities, and the like, so that spills are contained to within the boundaries of the containment system 10.

The containment system 10 is a non-ground-disturbance system that does not require digging or other preparation of the site 14 other than generally leveling and clearing the site 14. The containment system 10 is modular, so that a few standard components may be used to assemble the containment system 10 around almost any installation with minimal customization or effort. Furthermore, by using large and solid concrete blocks 20, the containment system 10 further provides physical protection to the equipment from errant vehicles and the like, without requiring the separate installation of bollards and the like to provide such physical protection.

The containment system 10 may further include a security fencing structure 50, described in greater detail below, that is mounted on top of the concrete blocks 20, and operates in conjunction with the containment system 10 to physically secure the equipment 12 from theft, vandalism, and the like, without requiring a second security system around the containment system 10. The term security fencing structure 50 is hereby specifically defined to require that the fencing prevent people from readily climbing over or through the fencing, and is designed to prevent persons from unauthorized access to the site 14. The security fencing structure 50 is typically chain link, as described below, but may include similar structures that are used to prevent unauthorized access.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the concrete block 20 used to form the containment system 10. FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the concrete block 20, and FIG. 4 is a sectional view thereof taken along line 4-4 in FIG. 3. As illustrated in FIGS. 2-4, the concrete block 20 has sides 22, ends 24, a top surface 26, and a bottom surface 28. The concrete blocks 20 may be a wide variety of shapes and sized, depending upon the requirements of the installation. In one embodiment, the concrete block 20 may be at least 12″ by 15″ by 20″ weighing over 1000 pounds. In one particular embodiment, the concrete block 20 is about 18″ by 30″ by 60″ weighing roughly 2600 pounds (approximately, +/−10%), and is formed using a 3000 psi concrete mix.

As illustrated in FIGS. 2-4, each of the concrete blocks 20 has a male interlocking element 30 extending from one of the ends 24, and a female interlocking element 32 formed in the other of the ends 24, and/or one of the sides 22, such that the plurality of concrete blocks 20 may be interlocked together to form a containment perimeter. The female interlocking element 32 formed on the other of the ends 24 enables the concrete blocks 20 to be positioned in a line to form a wall 34, and the female interlocking element 32 formed in one of the sides 22 enables the formation of a corner 36 that turns perpendicular to the wall 34. These types of blocks enable the semi-custom construction of the containment system 10 using fairly standard components. The concrete blocks 20 may be formed with only one of these options, or they may be formed with both, and even further customized blocks may be incorporated, as needed, to form the desired structure.

As illustrated in FIG. 4, each of the concrete blocks 20 may include a rebar component 40 formed within the concrete block 20. In one embodiment the concrete block 20 includes a top aperture 42 formed in the center of the top surface 26, and the rebar component 40 extends 24 upwardly to and through the top aperture 42, thereby forming a lifting point 44 within the top aperture 42. During installation of the concrete blocks 20, the lifting point 44 may be used to lift and position the concrete block 20.

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of a section of the containment system 10 of FIG. 1, illustrating one embodiment of the security fencing structure 50 that is integrated with the containment system 10. In the embodiment of FIG. 5, the security fencing structure 50 comprises a plurality of floor post flanges 52 fastened with fasteners 54 (e.g., masonry anchors) into the top surfaces 26 of at least some of the plurality of concrete blocks 20. A plurality of support posts 56 are provided, with each of the support posts 56 being operably mounted in a receiving aperture of one of the plurality of floor post flanges 52. A chain link fence 58 is then mounted on the support posts 56 using a plurality of mounting elements 60. The term “chain link” is hereby defined to include equivalent security fencing structure 50 that are functional for restricting unauthorized access to the site.

In one embodiment, the mounting elements 60 include tensioning elements 62 for tensioning the chain link fence 58. The tensioning elements 62 are mounted on the support posts 56, using techniques known in the art, and the chain link fence 58 is attached to the tensioning elements 62, such that when the tensioning elements 62 are tightened, the chain link fence 58 is lifted onto and operably supported by the support posts 56.

The invention further includes a method for forming the containment system 10 around the equipment 12 that might lead to a toxic spill, as illustrated in FIG. 1. The method comprising the steps of first preparing a surface around the equipment 12 so that it is relatively flat and free from obstruction. While obstructions may have to be removed, digging will not typically be required, so there is no requirement to check for underground utilities and the like (i.e., no “one call” is required for installation).

A plurality of the concrete blocks 20, described above and illustrated in FIGS. 1-5, are formed using concrete construction techniques known in the art. At the site 14, the male and female interlocking elements 30 and 32 of the plurality of concrete blocks 20 are interlocked to form a containment perimeter around the equipment 12. The floor post flanges 52 are attached to the top surfaces 26 of at least some of the plurality of concrete blocks 20, typically be bolting or otherwise anchoring the floor post flanges 52 to the top surface 26. Each of the support posts 56 are then mounted on one of the plurality of floor post flanges 52, and the chain link fence 58 is mounted upon the support posts 56 to form a security fencing structure 50 around the containment perimeter, to thereby enclose the equipment 12.

As used in this application, the words “a,” “an,” and “one” are defined to include one or more of the referenced item unless specifically stated otherwise. Also, the terms “have,” “include,” “contain,” and similar terms are defined to mean “comprising” unless specifically stated otherwise. Furthermore, the terminology used in the specification provided above is hereby defined to include similar and/or equivalent terms, and/or alternative embodiments that would be considered obvious to one skilled in the art given the teachings of the present patent application. 

1. A containment system comprising: a plurality of concrete blocks having sides, ends, a top surface, and a bottom surface, each of the concrete blocks further having a male interlocking element extending from one of the ends, and a female interlocking element formed in the other of the ends, and/or one of the sides, such that the plurality of concrete blocks may be interlocked together to form a containment perimeter.
 2. The containment system of claim 1, further comprising a security fencing structure comprising: a plurality of floor post flanges fastened with fasteners to the top surfaces of at least some of the plurality of concrete blocks; a plurality of support posts, each of the support posts being operably mounted on one of the plurality of floor post flanges; a chain link fence; and a plurality of mounting elements for mounting the chain link fence upon the plurality of support posts.
 3. The containment system of claim 2, wherein the mounting elements include tensioning elements for tensioning the chain link fence.
 4. The containment system of claim 1, wherein each of the concrete blocks further includes a rebar component formed within the concrete block, and a top aperture formed in the top surface, wherein the rebar component extends upwardly to and through the top aperture, thereby forming a lifting point within the top aperture.
 5. The containment system of claim 1, wherein at least four of the concrete blocks include the female interlocking element formed in the other of the ends, and at least one of the sides.
 6. The containment system of claim 1, wherein each of the concrete blocks is at least 12″ by 15″ by 20″ weighing over 1000 pounds.
 7. The containment system of claim 1, wherein each of the concrete blocks is approximately 18″ by 30″ by 60″, weighing roughly 2600 pounds, and is formed using a 3000 psi concrete mix.
 8. A containment system comprising: a plurality of concrete blocks having sides, ends, a top surface, and a bottom surface, each of the concrete blocks further having a male interlocking element extending from one of the ends, and a female interlocking element formed in the other of the ends, or one of the sides, such that the plurality of concrete blocks may be interlocked together to form a containment perimeter; and a security fencing structure comprising: a plurality of floor post flanges fastened with fasteners to the top surfaces of at least some of the plurality of concrete blocks; a plurality of support posts, each of the support posts being operably mounted on one of the plurality of floor post flanges; a chain link fence; and a plurality of mounting elements for mounting the chain link fence upon the plurality of support posts such that the security fencing structure extends around the containment perimeter.
 9. The containment system of claim 8, wherein each of the concrete blocks further includes a rebar component formed within the concrete block, and a top aperture formed in the top surface, wherein the rebar component extends upwardly to and through the top aperture, thereby forming a lifting point within the top aperture.
 10. The containment system of claim 8, wherein at least four of the concrete blocks include the female interlocking element formed in the other of the ends, and at least one of the sides.
 11. The containment system of claim 8, wherein each of the concrete blocks is at least 12″ by 15″ by 20″ weighing over 1000 pounds.
 12. The containment system of claim 8, wherein each of the concrete blocks is approximately 18″ by 30″ by 60″, weighing roughly 2600 pounds, and is formed using a 3000 psi concrete mix.
 13. A method for forming a containment system around equipment that might lead to a toxic spill, the method comprising the steps of: preparing a site around the equipment so that it is relatively flat and free from obstruction; forming a plurality of concrete blocks, each of the concrete blocks having sides, ends, a top surface, a bottom surface, a male interlocking element extending from one of the ends, and a female interlocking element formed in the other of the ends, and/or one of the sides; interlocking the male and female interlocking elements of the plurality of concrete blocks to form a containment perimeter around the equipment;
 14. The method of claim 13, wherein each of the concrete blocks includes a rebar component formed within the concrete block, and a top aperture formed in the top surface, wherein the rebar component extends upwardly to and through the top aperture, thereby forming a lifting point within the top aperture, and wherein the step of interlocking the male and female interlocking elements is performed by lifting each of the concrete blocks via the lifting point and moving it to the proper position.
 15. The method of claim 13, further comprising the steps of: proving a plurality of floor post flanges, a plurality of support posts, and a chain link fence; fastening the floor post flanges to the top surfaces of at least some of the plurality of concrete blocks; mounting each of the support posts on one of the plurality of floor post flanges; and mounting the chain link fence upon the support posts to form a security fencing structure around the containment perimeter, to thereby enclose the equipment. 